


Night Shift

by MandoKain



Series: Aliit [10]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Assassination, It isn't really graphic violence, Other, Prequel, but people do get shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-27
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-10-29 05:41:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20791541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MandoKain/pseuds/MandoKain
Summary: Don't make corrupt deals where someone might be listening. The justice-inclined might take offence.Another of Blink's freelance assassination jobs.





	Night Shift

He’d scouted the area in daylight, of course. You couldn’t not. He’d walked through the busy market, admired a piece of fruit as he silently counted every elevated location on the nearby buildings wide enough for him to crouch on. He’d munched said fruit as he tallied windows and doors, taking stock of possible locations where opponents and guards might take positions. Chatting with vendors, he’d noted how many of the market stalls were foldable and which had wheels, so he would know which areas would be cleared when the bustle faded and the market closed up for the night.

Ah, yes, the night.

Rain drizzled in an endless low hum that faded quickly from active perception. After lingering until the light faded, Blink turned and ducked into one of the buildings. The dingy factory was unlit, its workers gone home. He paused, drawing to a corner and crouching behind a set of crates under a window. With the arrival of the rain, there was no proper dusk, so the last, fading light was a dingy grey not bright enough to see by anymore. 

A few moments later he stood up, visor in place. He could see now, the night vision showing a color-faded version of his surroundings. He reached up and checked the settings, finding the dial on the side by feel, and turning it. He knew he’d found the right one when the heat signature of a small animal appeared in front of him. It went skittering off when he took a step, and he tracked its progress to the opposite corner, behind a different set of crates. Thermal imaging overlay in working order.

The ex-commando made his way up the stairs to the location he’d scouted, wincing slightly at a few creaks and grateful he was doing this now and not later. He could get set up and deal with any possible overt noisiness now, while it was still relatively inconsequential. He watched more skittering animals, lizards or rodents or something, as they crept across the floor. His movements on the rifle were nearly automatic as the pieces clicked into place, watching the creatures as he set everything up, all the pieces of the arrangement as he liked it. The feeling of the gun under his hands was as familiar as his own heartbeat. Once he was set, positioned at the window as he liked, he settled in to wait. Periodically, he checked the time. Mostly he watched the lizard-rodent things run around and kept an eye on the darkened and empty market square. He got in position as the time neared. The night was dead except for the rain, which had formed stagnant pools on the stonework. Blink watched.

_Right on time._

The parties came from opposite directions. Two and two. One to talk, one to watch the other side. Blink double-checked the silencer just to be sure. No commando was going to leave anything up to chance, ex or not. _Here we go._ He turned his ears on, and waited.

“Senator.” The voice was slimy and accented. _You gotta be kriffing kidding me._

“Hello.”

“I am very glad you are here.” The speaker swallowed most of the vowels. Blink made a face behind the visor. “Don’t bother with pleasantries. I need to know if we have a deal.”

“Of course we do. I arranged it personally.” The word ‘personally’ was emphasised in a way that told Blink exactly what his research had implied. “The priori here has ensure the way will be clear.” _Kriff. Not a bodyguard then._ The senator and the residential head of the country. _Guess I don’t have to make two stops._ That was a risk, having both of them there. They were stupid, then, as well as corrupt, or the priori was just a puppet of the senator.

“Indeed?” The slimy voice sounded either impressed or concerned.

“Yes.” The priori’s response was prompt, almost chipper. “I’m most appreciative of this arrangement.”

“As long as I get the weapons I want,” dismissed Slimy.

“You do.” The priori nodded to the senator. “We are both certain you will appreciate them.” There it was. He closed his eyes for a half-second and continued listening. A few more exchanges confirmed a time and place for the weapons deal. That was all he was waiting for. Blink waited until they started wrapping up, and made his mark.

One, two, three, four. Bodyguard, dealer, priori, Senator. Four silenced shots from a sniper rifle in the dead of night. He drew back and pulled out a datapad, publishing all of his research. “Ni ashnar bic.” _I've done it,_ he smiled bitterly to himself. “Shi besbe'trayce koor jii.” _Only the weapons deal now._

Amazing how quickly a planet could turn over in a night.


End file.
